August Conference Planning

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SAI Conference Planning Committee
January 11, 2010 Agenda

Introductions

  • Name, Position, Favorite Feature of SAI Conference

Role of the Committee
  • Recommendations for keynoters, presenters, state initiatives
  • Theme for 2010 Conference
  • Help during conference

Feedback from 2009 Annual Conference
  • Percentages
  • Comments

Information on Keynote Presenters


Distinguished Lecturers (To date, need four or five more)
  • Nancy Hill – professor @ Harvard Graduate School of Education
    • Supported by PIRC (Parent Information Resource Center)
    • Focus on middle school

  • Alan November – Founder of Educational Renaissance Planners
    • Promote effective use of information and communication that support and enhance learning for children and communities


Pre-Conference
  • Change?

Suggestions for Distinguished Lecturers

Invitations and Suggestions for Iowa Initiatives

Other items

Next meeting – April 16, 2010, from 1 – 4 p.m. at the SAI office

Committee ideas - please add any thoughts that you may have


1. Conference Ideas
  • Set direction for education in our state at the fall conference
  • Have real discussions on real, current topics with legislators (e.g. McCoy discussing one superintendent per county. Attendance at a session like this would increase.) Don’t be afraid of this topic.
  • Rich Conversations- so we are all informed of why we are going where we are going
  • SAMs model: principal’s role as instructional leader
  • Student Showcase during the conference: include elementary kiddos
  • Topics for elementary principals
    • Literacy
    • Math
  • Remember superintendents, AEA staff, higher ed attendees
  • Topic- “Transition into school” for kiddos starting school (especially for elementary principals)
  • “Working with media”, Ethics, Hiring/Firing, working with legislation-topics for superintendents
  • Active Engagement in Instruction- get away from “sit and get”
  • Race to the Top
  • Find a way to make sure Iowa superintendents are attending the SAI conference
  • Legislators- be included in conference (they have a lot of influence on what is happening in Iowa schools.) They are controlling the message.
  • Do the speakers’ beliefs match where we are at, as a state?
  • What day during the conference do we make the connection to Iowa?

2. Pre-Conference Thoughts
  • Greater clarification on language in the ICC
  • Q/A panel with folks who wrote ICC

3. Names for Distinguished Lecturers
  • Speaker for Elementary Level
  • Lucy Calkins
  • Susan Leddick (leadership)
  • Dean from ISU, UI, UNI; Ellie Herman (U of IA)
  • Thomas Guskey (did pre-conference a few years ago)
  • Doug Fisher (ASCD is bringing him in)
  • Anita Archer
  • Possibly a motivational speaker (e.g. Ron Clark, Homeless to Harvard)

4. Iowa Initiatives
  • Student Digital Portfolios
  • E-Portfolios
  • Exit Projects (8th grade project, Senior project)
  • Significant budget issues- how it affects school districts
  • Consolidation
    • How it affects school districts
    • What other initiatives are happening out there? What else is happening and how are places dealing with budget issues?
  • Relationship w/Board/Superintendent
    • Strategic Planning
    • Board Goals
    • Goal Setting
    • Superintendent Evaluation
  • SAMs
  • Superintendents evaluating principals- how have principals made evaluation process valuable for teachers?
  • One-to-one laptop initiative
  • Ewalk
  • PLC (Professional Learning Communities)
  • RTI (Response to Intervention)
  • IDM
  • PD planning/opportunities
    • Early releases
  • SINA/DINA
  • Writing Assessment (statewide)
  • Standards-Based Report Cards
  • Peer Coaching
  • Instructional Coaches

5. Michael Horn Thoughts
  • Connect to ICC
    • Especially essential characteristics
    • Evaluator 3- focus on what good instruction looks like
    • What does implementing the ICC with fidelity, PS-12, look like?
    • Formative Assessment piece (integrity of it, how it changes your instruction)
  • Appreciate Michael’s big ideas, but make sure they are connected to where Iowa is
  • We need to be pushed

Connections are important between the speakers